I have the same exact problem with my Galaxy Watch 42mm. I am using the rubber armstrap as well. I have a red circle right under the watch where the sensors lays on the arm with a small, not irritated point in the middle (presumably where no nickel or plastic makes contact with the skin. I also have small red and irritated stripes on both sides of my arm where the strap is.

The rash went down a bit as iv not been wearing it for a week now and decided to wear it again. It not only made the rash worse it actually caused a new rash on the strap line!

Iv asked somebody at Samsung product liaison team to send me a list of materials as iv been wearing watches all my adult life, anything from g shocks to fitbit and most watches these days have interchangeable straps so iv worn a selection of rubberised straps. The Samsung guy did say that the way the straps are made they use a chemical called "Carba Mix" and leftover residue may be causing this.

I've googled carba mix allergic reactions and they look like mine and others pictures but just much milder than what I see.

I'm going to see a dermatologist anyway but if this us a "known" issues surely it should have some warning label and if I have to buy new straps thats a bit annoying after spending 300 on the watch itself!

Just a post to share a few helpful tips/precautions from the official product guide we have at our end with the Community:

When you wear the Galaxy Watch for a long time or do a high-intensity exercise while wearing it, skin irritation may occur due to friction and pressure. If you are wearing your Galaxy Watch for a long time, remove the Galaxy Watch from your wrist and do not wear your Galaxy Watch for several hours.

Skin irritation may occur due to an allergy, environment factors, other factors, or when your skin is exposed to soap or sweat for long periods. In this case, stop using your Galaxy Watch and wait 2 or 3 days for the symptoms to ease. If the symptoms persist or worsen, immediately call your doctor.

Make sure your skin is dry before wearing your Galaxy Watch. If you wear a wet Galaxy Watch for a long time, your skin may be affected.

If you use your Galaxy Watch in the water, remove foreign materials from your skin and Galaxy Watch and dry them thoroughly to prevent the skin irritation.

I have to say, even if I understand the good intention of giving the advice, that it is worrying that a large and serious manufacturer like Samsung makes a product liek a wristwatch, that their support team have to issue advice to not us it for periods to avoid medical issues.I wore a Seiko divers watch with rubber band continuasly for 3 months during summer, with swimming, excersising, anf without doing anything to dry either the watch or my wrist, without getting as much as a irritated hair on my wrist.

after 10 days with my new galaxy watch, taking it off every second night to charge, i get a rash so bad, that I have to use 5% hydrocortisone to make it heal. And let me say, the pictures doesn't show how bad it is in normal lighting...

so have Samsung used some kind of allergenic chemical in the wristbands?

Or havent the wristbands been properly cleaned/sanitized after production, leaving skin irritating chemical on the band/watch, and exposing customers to potentially medically unsafe and hazardous materials?

At my 5th day of use I had to stop using it because my skin was "burned" by the bottom of the watch and by the wrist band. My usage was normal. I used it during the day and night (to monitor my sleep) and always took it off to shower and to charge (never less than 3 straight hours).

My skin is not healing. I've been using moisturizing creams with zero effect on the sore skin. When I take shower the water makes my skin burn in the places affected.

This is NOT normal. NOT acceptable. I had 2 smartwatches before this one and I've never had any problem with them and I used them 24/7 (monitoring my sleep) as well.

This is my first Samsung smartwatch and I'm completely overwhelmed how can a company sell a product without it meeting the necessary safety standards towards their costumers health. Carba mix, really? You already have a past story of allergenic smartwatches, haven't you learned nothing?

SAMSUNG, pay attention:

Yesterday night I took some photos (with flash) and today I took some more with more natural light. They don't show the full scope of the problem, it's way more visible and "ugly" at naked eye and at sunlight. Take some time to watch the photos but don't reply to me with standard, pre-made answers or guidelines. Like I said before, I've had two smartwatches before without any issues.

With that said, I must also add that I really like your smartwatch and I'd love to keep it but make no mistake: I'm a EU citizen so I will take this situation to the European Consumer Center and to the media, if needed.

You must solve this abnormal issue very quickly and for good. I'm already waiting for the solution... or my money back.

October 22 - Only 5 days of useOctober 22 - Only 5 days of useOctober 23 - Only 5 days of useOctober 23 - Only 5 days of useOctober 23 - Only 5 days of useOctober 23 - Only 5 days of useOctober 23 - Only 5 days of useOctober 23 - Only 5 days of useOctober 23 - Only 5 days of useOctober 23 - Only 5 days of use

I'm experiencing the same, although perhaps a bit more midly. A rash reminiscent of a sunburn just under the strap on level with my thumb. I too take it off when I shower, I clean it and dry it every time, and put it on when I'm dry myself. I usually sleep with it on to try to track my sleep pattern.

This is clearly not a friction issue, there's something with the armband material itself.

When can I expect to be able to buy different armbands? I strongly believe this will not occur with leather and metal armbands.